%0 Report
        %A Kiessling, Lukas
%A Radbruch, Jonas
%A Schaube, Sebastian
        %T The Impact of Self-Selection on Performance
        %D 2018
        %8 2018 Feb
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 11365
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp11365
        %X In many natural environments, carefully chosen peers influence individual behavior. In this paper, we examine how self-selected peers affect performance in contrast to randomly assigned ones. We conduct a field experiment in physical education classes at secondary schools. Students participate in a running task twice: first, the students run alone, then with a peer. Before the second run,we elicit preferences for peers. We experimentally vary the matching in the second run and form pairs either randomly or based on elicited preferences. Self-selected peers improve individual performance by .14-.15 SD relative to randomly assigned peers. While self-selection leads to more social ties and lower performance differences within pairs, this altered peer composition does not explain performance improvements. Rather, we provide evidence that self-selection has a direct effect on performance and provide several markers that the social interaction has changed.
        %K field experiment
%K self-selection
%K peer effects
%K social comparison
%K peer assignment